Publishers Weekly
05/27/2024
In this endearing autobiography, cowritten with journalist McCarter (Hamilton: The Revolution), Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Chu digs into his childhood, influences, and struggles to define himself. Growing up in Silicon Valley in the 1980s and ’90s, Chu—the youngest of five children—worked at his Chinese immigrant parents’ restaurant and learned early to “fade into the background and simply observe, then get what I want without the drama.” As he became enamored with theater and cinema, Chu took advantage of the rapid development of digital technology, running a “mini movie studio” out of his bedroom by the time he was 18, complete with high-tech cameras and top-shelf editing software. He followed his passion through film school at USC and the production of a short film that caught the attention of Steven Spielberg and led Sony to tap Chu for a remake of Bye Bye Birdie. Dizzied by the sudden success, Chu felt both devastated and relieved when the project collapsed, allowing him to regroup before breaking through with Step Up 2 the Streets in 2008. Chu and McCarter enliven the standard-issue celeb memoir beats with bits of wisdom aimed at aspiring filmmakers (“Stock Your Pantry”; “Check the Projector”) and welcome humor. Film fans—especially those with hopes of working in the business—will enjoy this. Photos. Agent: Lacy Lalene Lynch, Dupree/Miller & Assoc. (July)
From the Publisher
With Viewfinder, Jon Chu has written a profoundly inspiring book that reminds the reader of the power of dreams and the importance of remaining determined and focused even when—especially when—faced with adversity. A story of identity, creativity and the spirit of an artist, this vicarious journey is moving, funny, heart-wrenching, and relatable to anyone trying to carve out their place in this world.”—J.J. Abrams
“On any given day of filming, Jon Chu finds what’s magic about the day and finds a way to capture it. He takes big swings and dreams big dreams but never loses sight of the beating heart at the center of the story he’s telling. I wish this book had been around when I was younger. I’m so grateful it’s here now.”—Lin-Manuel Miranda
“Heartfelt, candid and wise beyond words, this deeply insightful and wonderfully inspirational memoir by a true storyteller is an absolute must-read.”—Michelle Yeoh
“Jon M. Chu’s Viewfinder is a riveting chronicle of a singular filmmaker’s journey, exploring serious matters of visibility and viability while embracing all the vitality and verve of Hollywood and beyond. It’s a must-read for aspiring artists and dreamers of all kinds.”—Ava DuVernay
“Just like in one of his movies, Jon M. Chu weaves a magical spell and takes us on a wondrous journey through his childhood, his family life, and his cinematic adventures as one of the most visionary talents working in Hollywood today. Viewfinder is a fascinating and heartfelt story that will inspire every reader.”—Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians
“This memoir on the career of Jon Chu will be an inspiration for new aspiring filmmakers as well as a treasure map to the X that will mark the spot for finding their own careers in moviemaking!”—Steven Spielberg
“Inspirational and practical . . . As he recounts, Chu really came into his own with Crazy Rich Asians, the first full-length movie to allow him to explore his heritage, and In The Heights, which gave him a chance to do the kind of musical he had always longed to produce. . . . The author is a reliable guide through many of the less-glamorous aspects of being a director. . . . Entertaining insights from a unique film industry insider.”—Kirkus Reviews
“In this endearing autobiography . . . Crazy Rich Asians filmmaker Chu digs into his childhood, influences, and struggles to define himself. . . . Chu and McCarter enliven the standard-issue celeb memoir beats with bits of wisdom aimed at aspiring filmmakers and welcome humor. Film fans—especially those with hopes of working in the business—will enjoy this.”—Publishers Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
2024-05-04
A filmmaker looks back at his life, from his time growing up in Silicon Valley through his direction of Crazy Rich Asians and the forthcoming film version of Wicked.
Chu, a hardworking and clearly cheerful (“I [don't] have dark and brooding in me”) director and screenwriter, is the youngest of five children in a family of Taiwanese immigrants, and his parents built and still run a well-known restaurant in Los Altos. With occasional inspirational and practical asides to readers, whether they're aspiring filmmakers or not, the author, writing with McCarter, details a childhood spent scrabbling together digital film equipment—often discarded by the patrons of his parents' restaurant—and working on elaborate projects with his friends. During his years at the University of Southern California, Chu cultivated a passion for freewheeling musical extravaganzas, and though he didn’t always fit in, he won multiple awards. The following years included a stint as a wunderkind, during which he was temporarily taken up as a project by Steven Spielberg, the lows of unemployment and “development hell” after he was fired from his first project, many years of working on sequels, from Step Up 2 to G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and filming two Justin Bieber live concert films. As he recounts, Chu really came into his own with Crazy Rich Asians, the first full-length movie to allow him to explore his heritage, and In the Heights, which gave him a chance to do the kind of musical he had always longed to produce. Occasionally introspective, as he examines why his life and work sometimes seemed to work and sometimes didn't, and always down to earth, the author is a reliable guide through many of the less-glamorous aspects of being a director.
Entertaining insights from a unique film industry insider.
